Jos Buttler has vowed England will be “more aggressive and come back harder” following a comprehensive defeat to world champions India in the first of five T20s in Kolkata.
England put in a rusty batting display and their frailties against spin on the subcontinent were laid bare by leg-break bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi and slow left-armer Axar Patel.
After Arshdeep Singh snared openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett, England became bogged down by India’s spin trio, who took a collective five for 67 in 12 overs as the tourists were all out for a subpar 132.
Only Buttler, with 68 off 44 balls, emerged with credit before India overhauled their target with seven wickets and 7.1 overs to spare in Brendon McCullum’s first match as England’s all-format head coach.
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McCullum has urged England to be “really watchable” under his stewardship as he looks to revitalise the limited-overs sides and Buttler insisted they will not be taking a backward step next time out.
“We were well beaten in the end,” Buttler said. “We’ll be better for the run out and it’s nice to get into the series even though it’s a loss and we look forward to the next one.
“We just didn’t quite impose the game that we wanted to play. If anything, we’ll be more aggressive and come back harder in the next one.
“We’re always trying to be aggressive in T20 cricket. On the day sometimes it won’t come off but we’re backing everyone in the dressing room to play however they want to play and commit to it.”
While McCullum is widely credited with rejuvenating England’s Test side, they lost 4-1 in India last winter and were undone by the turning ball in Pakistan to go down 2-1 having held a 1-0 lead.
At Eden Gardens, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone seemed unable to read Chakravarthy, who bowled both batters through the gate with googlies in the same over en route to fine figures of three for 23.
Buttler played a lone hand – his new white-ball vice-captain Brook’s 17 was England’s next best score – as he bludgeoned eight fours and two sixes and he has backed his team to turn the tide.
“We know we’re going to be hit by a lot of spin against India – I always expect them to play three spinners,” Buttler said.
“Lots of guys are going to start against spin so it’s just those individual plans and really committing to it to put the pressure back on them.
“A few of our guys were probably facing a few of their guys for the first time – they’ll be better for seeing them. We want to play better and put them under pressure.”
England’s bowlers were ultimately left chasing a near-hopeless cause against India, who are no longer able to call upon Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli after their T20 international retirements last year.
England’s bowlers were left with little hope (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
But the abundance of talent has shone through in 13 of 15 wins since June’s T20 World Cup triumph and Sanju Samson walloped Gus Atkinson for 22 in an over before opening partner Abhishek Sharma took centre stage.
Abhishek thumped eight fours and five sixes in a stunning 79 off just 34 balls, capitalising on being dropped on 29 by Adil Rashid, who eventually had his man with India requiring just eight more runs.
Mark Wood topped 95.6mph on his return from injury while a fired-up Jofra Archer was a rare positive on Wednesday evening, dismissing Samson and Suryakumar Yadav as well as hitting Tilak Varma on the helmet.
Archer remains on a diet of white-ball cricket on his latest comeback from longstanding elbow and back troubles but there is hope he will make his Test return this year ahead of this winter’s Ashes.
“He bowled great,” Buttler added. “He always bowls great – it’s great to see him fit and firing. He’s a great weapon to have in an attack.”